AnimalsThe snow leopard lives high in the mountains of Central Asia, including the Himalayas. Thick pale fur, wide furry paws and a very long tail help it stay warm and keep its balance on steep rocks. It is shy and rarely seen, which is why it is sometimes called the ghost of the mountains.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Panthera uncia
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Carnivore (eats other animals)
- Lives in
- Central and South Asia
- Habitat
- High, cold mountains
- A young one is called
- cub
- A group is called
- no special name
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Carnivora
- Family Felidae
- Genus Uncia
- Species Panthera uncia
Other members of the family Felidae on this site: cheetah, domestic cat, jaguar, leopard, lion, tiger.
More distant relatives in the order Carnivora: brown bear, dog, giant panda, polar bear, red fox, red panda, sloth bear, spotted hyena, walrus, wolf.
Scientists do not always agree on names. The GBIF list files this animal under the name Uncia uncia.
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable. The species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.